A New Man
by melfettmarvel
Summary: Pepper Potts reunites with Aldrich Killian for the first time in years-and he isn't at all what she expected. He's a witty, sly, genius-not to mention handsome. Will they get along better then they thought? And will Pepper Potts suddenly have feelings for a man besides Tony?-Pepper x Aldrich (In Progress! Will update soon ;D ALSO, there should be a time change after "Pepper.")


"_Killian?"_Pepper blurted with surprise, her eyebrows raised as she looked the sharp man up and down with her free blue eyes.

A tempting grin of pure content curled the man's lips, a hand lowering to adjust his suit jacket. All the while he spoke with careful and thought out words as he approached the woman, his steps calm yet intimidating.

"Pepper."

And from there, she had thought it would get no further. Dating Tony for at least a year now had proved almost perfect-_almost. _But today, she was completely aggravated. Living in the household of a man with time used to fulfill all of his needs and hobbies made her downgraded to "guest", in her eyes no longer "the one thing I can't live without." If only she could have accepted the truth in Tony's words, then maybe, just maybe this moment would not have come.

A man of nearly her height, Killian didn't need to duck or stand on tip-toes to meet the eyes of the billionare's girlfriend, Pepper Potts. His golden blonde hair could perfectly be described in one sentence-the hair of sweet and witty Pepper's washed down with menace and hype, and twirled with streaks of villianry. But for some reason, unknown to her, she was attracted to him. Not just the hair, but more-the charm, the ego, the looks, the self amplifying grin...it all made her long for him more. But she couldn't admit it to herself. She couldn't do this to Tony-yet, how many things had he supposedly done to her?

They talked as if it was just yesterday when they were _friends_, close to colleagues, nothing more. It wasn't comfort that brought them closer, no, it was desire, temptation-that handsome dark side of Killian's dragging Pepper to him. Shex couldn't help but smile as he walked closer to her, the same subtle yet anxiety-building steps he had taken only days earlier. He spoke still, as if he was across the room like earlier, no tone of happiness or irritation present in his voice.

"No one showed up? I can expect that out of Tony but..."She was lost in a sigh as she looked towards him, a bit of sympathy revealed in her tone.

Aldrich Killian simply nodded, his eyes staring straight ahead as he began to speak on.

"I felt rejected, as always, Ms. Potts. Left to wait for nothing, while that little playboy mechanic chatted with his girlfriend and your big, bulky bodyguard."Finally a smooth chuckle escaped his throat as he stood in front of the high-heeled, professionally-dressed woman, head to toe in his usual grey, business suit jacket.

Pepper could feel herself growing sympathetic for him-the genius that she'd known for at least ten years now, a elegant, suave man that used to be a stuttering, unkept...well, nerd. No one had paid full attention to him when he had tried to discuss his company of Advanced Idea Mechanics, or AIM, and now it had become a a monster of a company threatening to take over all human beings. However, this particular piece of information was unknown to Pepper Potts... Ironically, the most important piece of information about the man himself.

"Oh, Killia-"

"Aldrich. Remember?"

She nodded solemnly, smiling ever so slightly with her pink lips as she met his eyes, finding it hard to pull away from their dark brown aura.Thus forth, she figured that, maybe, just maybe, she would let him know how she felt about the whole situation. It couldn't hurt, could it? The man had been abandoned on a roof for at least an hour on the most wonderful night of the year, and from then on left unloved working on one project for the next thirteen. She believed that he deserved some sympathy, and what was a better time to speak of it?

"Aldrich, I want you to know-even if I may be alongside Tony, I'm so sorry. If I was there that night, if I had been with them, I would have came back to you. And it was wrong for them to treat you that wa-"

Her voice came to a halt as she felt a warm, calming, yet at the same time chilling hand on her shoulder, her head turning to see its fair complexion and look up to see his comely, handsome face, her eyes now coming to a halt as well. Soothing "shh's" escaped his lips, a slight and genuine smile curling them.

"Pepper...it's alright. I have never blamed what happened on you or expected your apology, for that matter. It wasn't you-and just your apology was more than gratuitous, I assure you."


End file.
